Brake control system for motor vehicles



Oct. 30, 1951 J. WEISS ErAL 2,572,962

BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Original Filed Dec. 11, 1946 FIG.2.

INVENTOR I ATTO RN EY Patented Oct. 30, 1951 BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Joseph Weiss and Abraham Weiss, New York, N. Y.; Joseph Weiss, administrator of said Abraham Weiss, deceased, assignor to Joseph Weiss individually Original application December 11, 1946, Serial No. 715,580. Divided and this application April 13, 1948, Serial No. 20,714

7 Claims.

This application is a divisional application from the patent application Serial #715,580, filed December 11, 1946 and the invention relates to motor vehicles, specifically to a brake control system.

Its main object is to provide effective means whereby the tendency of the vehicle to roll back or forward upon the release of the brake pedal and before the accelerator is depressed will be eliminated.

Another object is to provide effective means whereby the brakes will be automatically locked in braking position when the vehicle comes to a full stop, while the ignition is on and the accelerator pedal released, and be automatically released when the accelerator pedal is depressed.

Another object is to provide means whereby the brakes will be retained in locked position when the engine has stalled and the accelerator is released.

Still another object is to provide means for preventing the accidental release of the brakes when the vehicle, through a push or from some other cause, is moved from its rest position.

Still another object is to provide an electric circuit automatically controlled by a switch responsive to vibration.

With these and other objects in view, that will be apparent from the detailed description of our invention, the latter consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts that will be hereinafter more fully specified and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings constituting part of the specification and in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of one embodiment of our invention and Fig. 2 a similar view of a modification thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, let A denote the accelerator pedal, F the brake pedal, 13 the battery, I the ignition switch, M the fluid pressure master cylinders, P the plunger working therein,

and actuated by said brake pedal, 0, d, the conduits leading into the brake cylinders e (only one being shown) and V a valve interposed between said conduits c and d to control the fluid pressure. The valve V is adapted to be actuated electrically by a solenoid E so that on the depression of the brake pedal F, when the solenoid E is not energized, fluid pressure will pass into the brake cylinders and actuate the brakes, and when thereupon the solenoid becomes energized the valve V will be closed trapping the fluid pressure in the brake cylinders and thereby locking the brakes.

The electric means for actuating the solenoid includes a switch l0 adapted to be closed when the accelerator pedal A is released (as shown), a vibration responsive switch M and a relay R.

The vibration responsive switch M comprises a stationary housing II in which is suitably piv otally suspended, as at 12 an open topped receptacle I2 of any suitable shape and insulation material and whose top is hermetically sealed by a plate l3 of conductive material. The receptacle I2 is filled with mercury l4 leaving only an extremely narrow space M between its upper surface, and the inner face of said plate 13, so that a slight vibration of the receptacle in any direction will suffice to cause the mercury to come into contact with said plate. Projecting centrally through the bottom of the receptacle l2 and adapted to be submerged in the mercury l 4 is a contact member l5. The plate l3 may be grounded as at I3 while the contact member I5 is connected to the relay R as will be presently described.

The relay R is composed of two suitably mount ed electromagnets I6, l1, so that their armatures IE, IT are located centrally opposite and suitably spaced from one another. Pivotally supported on a stationary insulated part 19 of said relay R is a double arm 20 of conducting material whose one arm is under the tension of a spring l8 and whose other arm is formed with a contact point 22. This contact point in cooperation with a contact point 23 fixed to an insulated stationary conductor 24 constitutes a switch 25 normally tending to be closed under the action of spring H3.

The two electromagnets may be made of somewhat different strength, as for instance, the electromagnet it when energized may be only so strong as to attract the arm 20 against the tension of spring l8,but not strong enough to attract the arm against the combined pull of both spring and electromagnet ll. Or the spacing between the contact arm 20 and the two electromagnets may be so calculated that a relatively weak pull will suffice to cause the attraction of th arm 20 by the energized electromagnet l 6 against the action of spring IB, when the electromagnet I! is deenergized.

' the other terminal thereof to the ground, and siergized electromagnet I! through. said second" branch of the circuit along wires and 0 will.

maintain the switch 25 closed. as long as. the accelerator pedal A is in released position.

When the vehicle is in motion, thebattery circuit through the open switch IE) will be open and hence the solenoid E and. the relay l1 deenergized. During that motion there will be vibra-- tion of the mercury [4 in the container 12 and as a result thereof the switch I3, I closed, so. that the battery circuit will flow along line. p, by passing the open accelerator switch [0, through the second relayl6, and along line q, and will energize the said. relay Hi. This will; cause its armature to attract the contact. lever, 20 against the tension of its. spring 1.8.

Now, while the vehicle is moving, the accelerator pedal A is released, as during coasting or when the vehicle is running on. its. own. momentum, the closing. of the switch, H31 will; not. afiect the solenoid nor the relay l'l, since the switch 25 by'the actionofi the relay it has been. opened and remains open untilthe vehicle'comes to a. full. stop. It is therefore clear thatduring; such motion with the accelerator released, the brake pedal can be manipulated in the usual manner without causing, the brake becoming accidentally locked.

Asthere may be times when while the vehicle is in motion, intermittent con-tact, instead of. av constant contact is made, between. themercury and plate 13 of switch M, electromagnet maybe provided with a copper heel or other suitable well known means to produce a time delay action for the release of the contact arm- 28..

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the elec tric means controlling the solenoid. E includesi-n,

addition to all those means described in the.

A while the vehicle is at rest, without unlocking; r' the brakes.

The operation is as follows:

When the vehicle is at rest, with the ignition switch I on, and the transmission T in neutral, the electric circuit energizing the solenoid; El and locking the brakes, will be completedithrough; wires b, b closed switch 26, wires-b K, through the electromagnet H and to, the solenoid. E; When the vehicle i in' motion, the-mercury, switch l3, [4, due to vibration will be closedzcausing the electromagnet It to be energized and the opening of switch 25, all as described. in connection with the first modification. By positioning the transmission in neutral, the: switch 2% will be closed, so that the battery circuits through electromagnet i! and" solenoid E'will' be completed through wires b N, it etc. Thus the solenoid E will be energized and remain energized until the shifting of the transmission to speed, which: will cause the opening of the circuit. The operator is thus able to depress the accelerator for starting the engine, without causing the unlocking of the brakes,

It is quite obvious that various changes may be made in the constructionof our brake control means without departing from the principle of our invention. We, therefore, do not wish to restrict ourselves to the detail herein described and shown.

What we claim is:

1. In, a. motor vehicle having an accelerator, and brake mechanism, means for actuating said brake; mechanism' including a valve, electric means for controlling said brake actuating means, said electric means including a solenoid adapted. when actuated to close said valve and thereby lock the brakes in braking position, an accelerator actuated switch adapted to be closed when the accelerator is released, a relay normallyclosed, which when closed completes: the, circuit through said valve actuating solenoid, and: electric meansincludingfreely-pivotal; suspended means-respcnsi e to the motion of the vehicle af-. fecting said relay.

2; In a: motor vehicle having, an: accelerator, and brake mechanism, manual means for actuating said? brake mechanism, including a b pedal; a valve, electric means for controlling said;

valve, said electric means, including a solenoid: adapted when actuated to close said valve. and thereby lock the brakes in braking position, an accelerator controlled switch. adapted to. be

closed when said: accelerator is released, a relay having a normally closed'. switch which when closed is adapted to completethe circuit through said valve actuating solenoid and electric means for affecting said relay, said electric means-including a self-leveling governor responsive to the motion of the vehicle and switch mechanism actuated by said: governor.

3; In a motor vehicle according to claim 2, in which; said: motion. responsive switch includes a freely-pivotal suspended open topped mercury iilledreceptacle capableof'self-leveling and being of'nonec'onductive material, a cover therefor of conductive material hermetically sealing said receptacle with narrow. spacing above the'upper' surface of the mercury, a conductor submerged in the mercury forming one terminal of said switch and a second terminal provided on said cover.

4. In a motor vehicle according to claim 1, in. which said" relay is composed of a pair of electromagnets arranged with their armatures.

opposite; and at relatively narrow spacing from one another, a switch the movable contact member of which is interposed between said pair of in which the circuit through said electromagnet controlled by said vibration'responsive switch is adapted to bypass the accelerator actuated switch.

6; In a motor vehicle having an accelerator,

brakes, brake pedal, fi-uidpressure means for actuating said brakes through said pedal, said means including a-valve for controlling the fluid pressure on said-brakes, electric means adapted to actuate said valve, said electric means includ ing a solenoid which when actuated will close said valve, to lock said brakes in braking position, a switch adapted to be actuated by said accelerator and to be closed when said accelerator is released, a relay normally closed and adapted when closed to complete the electric circuit through said solenoid and to maintain said electric circuit closed as long as said accelerator switch is closed, and a vibration responsive switch adapted to be open when the vehicle is at a standstill and to close under vibrations and thereby, after said electric circuit has initially been interrupted at said accelerator switch, affeet the relay so as to maintain the opening of said electric circuit, and said solenoid deenergized.

'7. In a motor vehicle according to claim 6, in which said electric means include also a transmission actuated switch adapted to be closed when the transmission is in neutral, said switch being arranged in the electric circuit to bypass said accelerator switch, so that said solenoid will remain energized while the transmission is in neutral and the vehicle at a standstill,

after the opening of the accelerator switch. JOSEPH WEISS. ABRAHAM WEISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,843,966 Adams Feb. 9, 1932 2,262,842 Goepfrich Nov. 18, 1941 2,287,562 Pennington June 23, 1941 2,329,156 Coffey Sept. 7, 1943 2,334,611 Darling Nov. 16, 1943 2,345,280 Morgan Mar. 28, 1944 2,414,409 Goepfrich Jan. 14, 1947 2,478,884 Wiseley Aug. 9, 1949 

